I think we need to recalibrate expectations a bit on Carson Bjarnason.
He’s 20 and around .886 in the AHL. That’s not a disaster, but it’s not ahead of schedule either. He was drafted for tools, size, strong lower half, overlap usage, ability to seal the bottom of the net, not because he was a finished product. Right now his path looks more like a slow-burn development curve (think early Stolarz, minus the injuries) rather than a quick breakout. And that’s fine.
At 20 in the AHL, you’re going to see swings. He’s already shown multiple .940+ games, so the ceiling flashes are there. The issue isn’t talent, it’s the frequency of the low-floor nights. And when you look at the schedule, a lot of those rough games came during stretches where Lehigh was giving up 4–6 goals regularly as a team. He’s not at the stage yet where he can erase chaos in front of him.
If his tracking sharpens and his reads speed up at the pro level, the upside is still very real. At 6’4” with his mobility and pad control, there’s legitimate starter projection there if it all clicks. I just don’t think he’s there yet, and that doesn’t mean he won’t be. Goalies aren’t linear. Some stabilize at 21, some at 25. Curious how others see his timeline.
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In 2023 the Flyers drafted Bjarn at 51st and Zav at 87th.
They both are doing fine, Zavragin more so.
They haven’t drafted a goalie since.
They drafted Kolosov in 2021 (78th), Errson in 2018 (143rd) and Fedotov in 2015 (188th).
Do we think they take another goalie or two this summer?
I’m guessing they do.
I thought maybe last summer with all those 1st and 2nd round picks they had that they might’ve taken one, but they didn’t.
I don’t think anyone’s super high on Bjarnasson here tbh, he may be a fine goalie but Zavragin is the only notable goalie prospect with a chance at being elite for us